Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/196/1 - August 1918 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066569
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

abt 500yds. Durin after HKirwood took a patrol to the wood ahead witout meeting oppositer tell wood us reache. In wood they got right onto 30r 4 fermans - shots were exchanged & both stie's withdrew. T Aug11 at I am two toys of 8Bn passed tho under cover of art. Tey were belpeda lotlby 1fog- Dent ahead to great dist. Tere as fairly heavy of fire fom I wood aheed - but here were
5 s cripy wood V1 very few casnatles oway to I bad visibility Tvey reached their Objc (Bhel (in). Dary after CFD loys 5 Bn weresent up by plus to help to hold & consolidate I line & let te PBn Ease of to their rt. This nore ws done in broad daylight practicall without casnatties 4 O'Farrell ws k on reaching font live (by a swcll piece of sell wh Tursbay Booyds away caught him beheind 1 Eav. Noone knew how it os le as lit for some time
On Aug 9 German fire was terrassing sade than concenterated On Au 10 our barrap opened well but quicbly died away. A nt ofhelp ed heve be go by 1 barrage catting off Factoy wood. There as a hidden Sunken road behind wood which you cont see tit you got there (it ws not marked map as sunken) He ferms all Exc. abt 20 got away there. heal 30 were captd. On Aug 11 our barrage we good. On both 10x 1ay German Shelling ws light.
The Ion wf reld to night 11/12 Aug) by god Bde. units did not take over fom units, wh made relief difficult. I ws finishe abt mednight SBamoved back into 1 Quarry, ferms continued herressing fire on Quarry pt of S who had worked wonderfully all thro' fight were & wd (3 - one died). Hhe evg of Aug 10 the shelling of Crepy wood ws perticalarl Leavy On auy 13 Bn reorganised German Aerial Activily became greater - & oneh le
Claims a ferman plane. They flew very low & Bn at Iend had almost Every gan firing on them. Aug 12,13 & 14 SBn Spint at Ausery. On Aug 15 it came out to Arsy. Thence to Hamolet near Corbie. The baking them had a wonderful difference to theen. Lellie as knowou Peninsula as the Piik kid" orthe Pink -for one day - then Babr it thane
Ba Hertevitte H Martins wood). On 21 A Abt Opm. Bn moved. The loy commdss were changer. Copt. In this show, addz1 Bourke, who shd have bee left out, bu for his own insistence, went in T wsk. (He ws a Melbourne man, one of 3hokes all Iwhom came away. His Sister is an Austialian nurse.)
(4 Bn ws on lift of S Bn. The hill opposite them ws less teep. Some tanks were able to get up after 1 cnfy there Eg. w supplies - it has great moral efect seemg the tanks fet up with these supplies - The tanks were dropping out Mokes Hells. when Et ws held up I As wondering wether t goon or no, a P.M.Atc (D Darliy Sence M.C.) as pe him if he shd fere off a few TM shells at tm. Hc did T0 - & E Sitence the fire from a posity & Ag right coy us able to get on. This TM was very well forward
53Bn - who wilhdse J B Went t poat posts. Ston att rooyds from I tape M. J. had had t cross a road. stanted before + at his road were the first my positis - on rit (Dear EBn) the support Coy Apt Opulligan, wit & volum & t Book) had by to time jound fron coy (apt Permagel. He called valum fou lett of foyy is to fill agap. Te germn barrage put down while to aps on 1 [tape went over abt 200 -300ydS. But possibly on acct of this Cwot
the 68 caught t Bn Spt Closs Te whole support was in 12d Cve Pernegels $607 before they got to little thet wood S Martins wood. teferis of I road surrendercs their small posts as Son got to them Acaoy my fire begang to comg from the waods alead of from (flanted. Esp. Rt flank? (I Me Bn went. stracfton afer barrage into Lettle OSallivan w shotin woog. Capt
Stomach jias as by gott to this wood be died of wds. Bn went straught into wood & got 2 will can ouplaged on VEdge. Of (wood. They had pot apply fired I one (we so fixed to of she had by fired she wod explode. (It was later marked not to be toached) The wood wo faiity triak to a Crain had track thro W. Teferms mostl run back outo be wood. were a Lew TMboarbs There

53
abt 500 yds.
During aftn Lt Kirwood
took a patrol to the
wood ahead without
 meeting oppositn till
/ wood ws reached.  In 
/ wood they got right onto
3 or 4 Germans – shots
were exchanged & both
pties withdrew.
On Aug 11  at 4 am two Coys
of 8 Bn passed thro under
cover  of arty.  They were
helped a lot by / fog –
went ahead w great
dash.  There ws fairly heavy
m.g. fire from / wood
ahead – but there were

 

54
Diagram - see original document
55 2
very few casualties
owing to / bad visibilty.
They reached their objve
(Blue Line)
durg aftn C & D
Coys 5 Bn were sent
up by plns to help to
hold & consolidate / line
& let the 8 Bn ease
off to their rt. This move
ws done in broad daylight
practically without casualties.
Lt O'Farrell w k on
reaching / front line ( by a
small piece of shell wh
bursting 300 yds away caught
him behind / Ear.  No one knew
how it ws  he ws hit for some
time)

 

56
On Aug 9 German fire
was harassing rather
than concentrated.
On Aug 10 our barrage
opened well but quickly
died away. A lot of help
cd have bn gn by /
barrage cutting off Factory
Wood.There ws a hidden
sunken road behind /
wood which yo cdnt
see till you got there (it
ws not marked  on the map
as sunken) The Germs all
exc. abt 20 got away there.
These 30 were captd.
On Aug 11 our barrage
ws good.  On both 10 & 11 Aug
our German shelling ws light.

 

57
The 5 Bn ws reld tt night
(11/12 Aug) by 3rd Bde.
Units did not take over
from units, wh made
relief difficult. It ws
finished abt midnight.
5 Bn moved back into /
Quarry.  Germs continued
harrassing fire on / Quarry
& a pty of S/Bs. who had
worked wonderfully all thro'
/ fight were k wd ( 3 –one
died).
The evg of Aug 10 the
shelling of Crepy Wood ws
particularly heavy.
On Aug 13 Bn reorganised.
German aerial activity
became greater – one L. Gunner

 

58
claims a German plane.
They flew very low & Bn at
/ end had almost  every
gun firing on them.
Aug 12, 13 & 14  5 Bn spent
at / Quarry.
On Aug 15 it came out to 
Arisy.  Thence to Hamlet near
Corbie. The battery there made
a wonderful difference to /
men.
Lillie ws known on / Peninsula
as "The Pink Kid" or " The Pink
Baby" – for one day – then
it changed.

 

59
5 Bn Herleville
(St Martins Wood).
On 21 Aug abt 8 p.m. Bn
moved.  The Coy Commndrs
were changed.
In this show ^Capt "Paddy"
Bourke, who shd have bn
left out, but for his own
insistence, went in &
ws k. ( He ws a Melbourne
man, one of 3 brothers all
of whom came away. His
sister is an Australian
nurse.).

 

60
[4 Bn ws on left of 5 Bn.
The hill opposite them ws
less steep. Some tanks were
able to get up after / infy
there e.g. w supplies – it
has great moral effect seeing
the tanks get up with these
supplies –The tanks were
dropping out Stokes shells.
When / rt ws held up &
ws wondering  whether to
go on or no a T.M. offr.
(Lt Darling since M.C.) asked
him if he shd fire off
a few TM shells at them.
He did so – &  xx  silenced
the fire from a positn
& Angels the right coy ws able to
get on.  This TM was very
well forward.

 

61
5 Bn went thro 53 Bn – who withdrew
front posts. 5 Bn abt 300yds from / tape
had to cross a road. M.gs. had
started before – at this road were the
first m.g. positns – on rt ( near 6 Bn ).
The support Coy (A), Capt O'Sullivan, ws
(^ with Lt Volum, & Lt Booth) had by tt time
joined front coy (Capt Permezel). He
called Volum(  on left of Coy) in to
fill a gap. The Germ. barrage put down
^ while Bn was on / tape went over abt 200-300yds.
But possibly on acct, of this (wh

 

62
caught 6 Bn) the 6 Bn kept close to
/ rd.  The whole support Coy was in
w Permezels∧ (B) Coy before they got to
the ^little wood W of St Martins Wood.
The Germs on / road surrendered
in their small posts as 5 Bn got to them.
Heavy mg. fire began to come from
the woods ahead & from / flanks,
esp. rt flank . E The Bn went
straight in after / barrage into Little
Wood & Capt O'Sullivan ws shot in /

 

63
stomach just as they got to this wood –
he died of wds.  Bn went straight into /
wood & got 2 well camouflaged 77s
on / edge o / wood. They had not
(apptly) fired – one ws so fixed tt
if she had bn fired she wd explode.
(It was later marked 'not to be touched '.)
The wood ws fairly thick w a tram
track thro it.  The Germs had
mostly run back into / big wood.
There  xx Coy   were a few TM bombs

 

 

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